I don't believe cables make a difference, any input?

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rdf said:


Honestly curious, which tests would that be? I don't recall seeing one using a methodology I couldn't take some issue with. I'ld appreciate any links.


Well, I don't collect them. When I see any, I read 'm, because I really am curious. The last two I remember, because I discussed them on the forum, are 'Science in the service of Art" by Floyd Toole (google will find it), the other one was the HiFi+ blind test on cable audibility. I don't think this last article is on-line (unless you pay) but I have posted & discussed some excerpts in the thread: "It's official: all cables sound the same". And yes, that is meant ironically.😉 .

And people like Peter Walker of Quad have done tests that probably can be found on the 'net, as well as difference tests by for instance David Haffler of Dynaco, putting the difference of an attenuated amp output signal and the original source on speakers, getting .... total silence. It pops up once in a while on the net, don't have a easy link ready, sorry.

Jan Didden
 
slowmotion

back to earth,

i've had all the money i could possibly need for a long time,
just at the moment a lot of resources are focused preciesy at audio fidelity.
if find great analogy between sciense engineering and soul in music, and its very hard, read time consuming, read expensive in the real world to achieve.
what, i'm sure we all want is satisfaction. re previous post.
at present my cheap diy hifi syatem provides this
interconnection cables are an IMPORTANT part.
but only one part
 
Steve Eddy said:

Let me try an analogy.

You hire a painter to paint a scene from the real world. His goal is to make the painting look as close as possible to the actual scene.

However, he can only see his canvas through a filter. Let's say it's a funhouse mirror.

So he paints the scene on his canvas while looking through the funhouse mirror and when looking through the funhouse mirror, the painting looks exactly like the real scene.

But look at the canvas without looking through the funhouse mirror and you'll see something that's distorted with respect to the real scene.

What I'm trying to get across is that the less-than-objectively-perfect recording equipment is the equivalent of the funhouse mirror. And further, most every recording out there as made using a somewhat different funhouse mirror. And finally, if you listen to these reocordings with an objectively perfect system, i.e. without the funhouse mirror, what you get is ultimately a distorted version of what was intended.

I think this is an excellent analogy and shows we're probably not as far apart in opinion as the funhouse mirror of the Internet would suggest. There's nothing I disagree with here. As you say, our playback systems will always remain 'funhouse mirrors'. However, without going to the extent of using equalizers, noise reduction units, reverbs, DSP and host of other tools to inversely match the 'curvatures of each recording' one by one, our playback systems will generally increase the disparity between not just the original scene before the painter, but the painter's intent on the canvas as well. The painter might not object, or might prefer the listener bringing something to the experience, and the listener might enjoy viewing all the world in one particular funhouse way. There's nothing wrong with that. However, other listeners want to see the original scene as often as possible and there's only one way towards that goal: standardized funhouse curvatures. An example you touched on is the RIAA phono curve, but I think we'ld agree the best posssible curvature to most consistently achieve this goal is optically flat. Ironically this doesn't deny the funhouse mirror fan their preference, admittedly at the expense of having to curve the playback mirror a little more.

That said, I think we'ld also agree perfectly optically flat is an unachievable goal, but there's still a huge range between the photo-realist painters and Jackson Pollock. Eventually we'll run up against the limitation of the media - paintings remain two dimensional - at which point it's time for the next technological jump and a new set funhouse mirrors with their own optical imperfections. Digital recording for example.

/Ducks 🙂
 
blind test

feel as though i'm intruding,
but blind tests strike of democracy.statistics.
i' know i'm right. hence blind test means very little.
from scientific point of view
thesis
anti-thesis
hypothosis
i'll have to be communist republican
you WILL use 100pf/m cables so i can design output/input buffers that compensate for this.
good luck
 
rdf said:
I think this is an excellent analogy and shows we're probably not as far apart in opinion as the funhouse mirror of the Internet would suggest. There's nothing I disagree with here. As you say, our playback systems will always remain 'funhouse mirrors'. However, without going to the extent of using equalizers, noise reduction units, reverbs, DSP and host of other tools to inversely match the 'curvatures of each recording' one by one, our playback systems will generally increase the disparity between not just the original scene before the painter, but the painter's intent on the canvas as well. The painter might not object, or might prefer the listener bringing something to the experience, and the listener might enjoy viewing all the world in one particular funhouse way. There's nothing wrong with that. However, other listeners want to see the original scene as often as possible and there's only one way towards that goal: standardized funhouse curvatures. An example you touched on is the RIAA phono curve, but I think we'ld agree the best posssible curvature to most consistently achieve this goal is optically flat. Ironically this doesn't deny the funhouse mirror fan their preference, admittedly at the expense of having to curve the playback mirror a little more.

Alright! We're finally on the same wavelength! 🙂

Thanks for taking the time to try and understand what I was wanting to get across.

Don't get me wrong though. I'm not trying to imply that objective perfection isn't a legitimate goal. I'm just saying it's not the only legitimate goal, as some have tried to paint it (not necessarily anyone here).

That said, I think we'ld also agree perfectly optically flat is an unachievable goal, but there's still a huge range between the photo-realist painters and Jackson Pollock. Eventually we'll run up against the limitation of the media - paintings remain two dimensional - at which point it's time for the next technological jump and a new set funhouse mirrors with their own optical imperfections. Digital recording for example.

Certainly.

se
 
janneman said:


Indeed, because it illustrates the fact that people like you REFUSE TO THINK!

Carlos is right about his "filter" statement. What he and you don't get is that it is completely speculation, unfounded, to conclude that "because it is a filter, it is audible". As I said, hogwash.
Maybe you should try to get your own basic thinking in order before thrying to speculate how other people do it.

Jan Didden


Jan,

You are putting words in my mouth. I NEVER made any such statement concerning the audibility of filters one way or the other. Furthermore as far as my thinkling process, I do think most of the time prefering to come to my own conclusions based on the examination of the facts and my own scientific testing wherever possible. Inotherwords, I do not live in a faith based domain.

As for your last sentence, the existence of billions of religious followers is proof of my statement, so it is NOT merely my own speculation of "how other people do it (think)".

If you have strong 'faith', nothing I say is important to you anyhow, on any subject. I use faith in the broader term because it encompasses so much more than religion, but also inclusive of religion, filters and speaker cables.

Put another way, when you are religiously faithful to a concept, like speaker cables for example, then facts are irrelevant to you.
 
janneman said:
You may think whatever you want but there are good reasons why those manufacturers do these things. It is because it helps sales.

You are saying exactly the same as me.
Every manufacturer says it's product is the best, so why trust commercial ads?
Why such a surprize that Supra or any other manufacturer can make a really bad cable?
Supra makes a very good cable for digital (SPDIF) connections: Supra Trico.
But the Ply speaker cables are an unfortunate creation, IMHO.
 
analog_sa said:
Carlos,

You are cursed with ears. Maybe you should only have arguments with similarly cursed folks 🙂

Jan is asking for an audible proof that cables make difference.
So...
Or he comes here and listens, or else we are just giving our word, if it has any value.:xeye:

I really don't know what's the difficulty in changing cables and listening.
It's faster than reading this thread.:clown:
 
Put another way, when you are religiously faithful to a concept, like speaker cables for example, then facts are irrelevant to you.

I know quite a few audiophiles but still haven't met anyone who's 'religiously faithful' to cables. They mostly have cynical minds and nothing is presumed to sound good until proven.

Otoh i personally know a few engineers/scientists who feel a deeply burning religious fervour to debunk 'myths' at any cost.

Or he comes here and listens, or else we are just giving our word, if it has any value

If he was inclined or capable to listen he would probably prefer do so in the comfort of his own home. Which reminds me of an old story.

Shortly after i first listened to solid core speaker cables (1983?) a colleague who was both a learnt music lover and an established scientist visited. He used to enjoy listening to my system and bringing over records. On this particular occassion i suggested a cable comparison. The guy was dumbfounded at the suggestion but reluctantly agreed. So i played a track and swapped cables. He listened for 10 seconds and said there was no difference. Ok, lets swap them back and listen again. This time he was really annoyed - are we really going to listen to the same track for the third time?! Can we not listen to something different now?

'Audiophile' type listening does not suit every personality. Maybe you need some type of brain damage to incessantly listen to the same track over and over. I can well see the nay sayers being more rational human beings. Which probably means they prefer cables to sound the same 🙂
 
Steve Eddy said:


But what do you consider "the original"?
The "original" starts with the acoustic event that is recorded.
When you get it, it is usually that acoustic event after it has been recorded. It makes no difference conceptually - the more you alter the best source you have, the less "accurate" it is and less like the source by the time you hear it.

ADDING IN EUPHONY is *another issue* for a *different discussion*
If you consider the original to be the recording itself, then the quest for the objectively perfect audio system (i.e one which does not alter the recording in any way, size, shape, or for) is rather a fool's errand.

Why? How is it foolish?

Foolish to me is trying to tie together random pieces of gear with the niave expectation that they will give a predictable result!

Every recording ever made was recorded, monitored, mixed, and mastered while listening through a set of "filters." From the microphones to the loudspeakers.

no kidding! exactly my point... but you wouldn't let me truncate your DAC down to 14 bits, would you? Or??

And it was while listening through all these filters that those responsible for the recording made their decisions as to what they desired the end result to sound like.

So whether you consider the original to be the original event, the recording itself, or the intent of those who produced the recording, to reproduce the recording itself with objective perfection is to reproduce something which has no particular context to either the original event or the intent of those who produced it.

Nice path of logic, with a conclusion that comes from where??

Clearly, this is utter BS, my friend.

Two reasons:

1. some recordings were made with the express intention of doing the utmost to capture the "actual perfomance" in stereo as accurately and cleanly as the SOTA happens to be.

2. It is perfect possible to replay *certain* recordings either *in the original space* or *in the original mastering room* or *with identical signal chain, equipment.

To say what you have said is like saying there is no way to focus or set color balance for a movie , be it showing it or making the print. What you have said is that focus and color in a movie can be randomly set and altered, since the original is lost, the intent is unknown and "there is no context." Absurd.
That's your paradox. And why I think the obsession with objective perfection on the reproduction side is rather silly.

Paradox? Where? If there is obsession it is in arguing, not in what I've put forth so far. I have no great investment in "objectivism" in audio nor in "perfection in reproduction" at all. I have noted that without aiming for these things, you have no basis to *know* or *expect* to be able to *control* the results or alter them when they are not to your liking - EXCEPT by relatively gross or random means.

---> about "filters" again... the problem is simply stated: everything we do *is* a filter to some extent. if we ignore the *degree* of filtering (again this is merely the altering of a signal from the way it was received) from the moment that we receive the signal (which is the CD disc in most cases today), then depending upon the degree of filtering we may have altered the signal sufficiently such that *certain* CUES have been unretrievably lost or made unintelligible. <---

---> the reproduction of sound in stereo *already* ignores and trashes *many* of the cues that we are able to discern from "naturally occuring" sources - stereo must provide "suggestions" (cues) in the signal which our minds recognize and then reassemble into what *we recognize* as far as what is *supposed* to be happening (as it would have if we were witnessing "live sound"). Lose or muddle the cues, the reconstruction process is handicapped. Handicap it enough and finally it sounds like crap, and then it becomes unintelligible... of course our systems never reach that level of handicap, but this is the key idea to understanding these issues, imho. <---

Of course there's no way we could reproduce every recording using the same filters used when it was made unless we're making our own recordings, so I think the best approach is to give up the obsession with objective perfection and for each individual to use whatever filters give them the most pleasing results with the most recordings.

se

So, in the end, your point is that if you like the way it sounds, that is all there is.

Which is fine for you, and fine as far as it goes.
But it has nothing whatsoever to do with determining what is audible and what is not with respect to cables or anything else for that matter.

It also has nothing to do with determining what in cables can be found to be differently audible, why it may be so, or what such a mechanism may be - or as I have suggested, what to test for or look for at this point in the "great debate."

_-_-bear :hot:
 
bear said:
Innane. No, annoying, actually.

An attempt at humor? alright, but why waste time and bandwidth more than it already has been?

First, it's my time to waste. Let me worry about it.

Second, why do people who are so worried about wasting bandwidth waste so much more of it complaining about it?

More bandwidth would have been conserved had said nothing at all about my post.

Never have figured that one out.

My current pet theory is that it gives those who aren't happy unless they're complaining about something an excuse to complain about something.

se
 
bear said:
Why? How is it foolish?

Because the context of the actual recording is the equipment and the environment used to make it.

To reproduce it with objective perfection is to remove it from that context.

Foolish to me is trying to tie together random pieces of gear with the niave expectation that they will give a predictable result!

Who said anything about predictable?

no kidding! exactly my point... but you wouldn't let me truncate your DAC down to 14 bits, would you? Or??

I don't know. If it ended up sounding better to me, I might.

Nice path of logic, with a conclusion that comes from where??

The conclusion comes from the fact that to date no recording has been made on an objectively perfect system.

Clearly, this is utter BS, my friend.

Two reasons:

Ok.

1. some recordings were made with the express intention of doing the utmost to capture the "actual perfomance" in stereo as accurately and cleanly as the SOTA happens to be.

Ok. But accurately and SOTA as determined by who or what exactly?

2. It is perfect possible to replay *certain* recordings either *in the original space* or *in the original mastering room* or *with identical signal chain, equipment.

Never asid it was impossible. Just very impractical. And you'd only be able to do it for a literal handful of recordings.

To say what you have said is like saying there is no way to focus or set color balance for a movie , be it showing it or making the print. What you have said is that focus and color in a movie can be randomly set and altered, since the original is lost, the intent is unknown and "there is no context." Absurd.

Poor analogy. The film is the film and every projector will be able to focus.

A better example would be if films were made based on projectors using bulbs with widely varied color temperatures.

Paradox? Where? If there is obsession it is in arguing, not in what I've put forth so far. I have no great investment in "objectivism" in audio nor in "perfection in reproduction" at all. I have noted that without aiming for these things, you have no basis to *know* or *expect* to be able to *control* the results or alter them when they are not to your liking - EXCEPT by relatively gross or random means.

Yes.

---> about "filters" again... the problem is simply stated: everything we do *is* a filter to some extent. if we ignore the *degree* of filtering (again this is merely the altering of a signal from the way it was received) from the moment that we receive the signal (which is the CD disc in most cases today), then depending upon the degree of filtering we may have altered the signal sufficiently such that *certain* CUES have been unretrievably lost or made unintelligible. <---

But the converse may also be the case.

---> the reproduction of sound in stereo *already* ignores and trashes *many* of the cues that we are able to discern from "naturally occuring" sources - stereo must provide "suggestions" (cues) in the signal which our minds recognize and then reassemble into what *we recognize* as far as what is *supposed* to be happening (as it would have if we were witnessing "live sound"). Lose or muddle the cues, the reconstruction process is handicapped. Handicap it enough and finally it sounds like crap, and then it becomes unintelligible... of course our systems never reach that level of handicap, but this is the key idea to understanding these issues, imho. <---

If something produces a result that sounds like crap, then don't do that something.

So, in the end, your point is that if you like the way it sounds, that is all there is.

Which is fine for you, and fine as far as it goes.

Well, I don't listen for anyone else's pleasure by my own so I don't see that it need go any farther.

But it has nothing whatsoever to do with determining what is audible and what is not with respect to cables or anything else for that matter.

No, it doesn't.

It also has nothing to do with determining what in cables can be found to be differently audible, why it may be so, or what such a mechanism may be - or as I have suggested, what to test for or look for at this point in the "great debate."

But no one's REALLY interested in determining that and the "great debate" will continue as it always has and likely always will.

se
 
Hi,

Because the context of the actual recording is the equipment and the environment used to make it.

To reproduce it with objective perfection is to remove it from that context.

That's simply not true. The recording is what it is, including what you call "context".
A perfectly neutral playback system will not change the recording nor its "context". How would it distinguish between the two anyway?

The conclusion comes from the fact that to date no recording has been made on an objectively perfect system.

That's really not relevant. A good recording does not need to be perfect, neither does the recording gear have to be perfect to make a good recording.
You'll need a good, transparant playback system to appreciate a good recording though. At least I know I would.

I really thought that with your experience with LPs and their RIAA equalization you'd understand this.

Oh, BTW, what on earth has the RIAA curve to do with all this?
Also, I'm still puzzled as to why you think that every filtering used during a recording is put on a medium in reverse??
Which would mean what exactly?

It also has nothing to do with determining what in cables can be found to be differently audible, why it may be so, or what such a mechanism may be - or as I have suggested, what to test for or look for at this point in the "great debate."

But no one's REALLY interested in determining that and the "great debate" will continue as it always has and likely always will.

If you're really interested in shaping your systemplayback to your liking then maybe you should be interested....Heaven forbid you may incidentally buy or build a transparant cable....:smash:

Either way, I'm sure some people are interested in finding out why not all cables sound the same.............Or not............😕

Cheers,😉
 
Guys, there's an important issue here.:att'n:

You will never know what's on the disc.
You will never know if you are reproducing it as faithfully as it was recorded.
Because of the manufacturing process, even the producer doesn't know what's really on the final, released disc.

There's no way of knowing, because there's no perfect replay chain.
 
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